Tips for Holiday Travel with Kids

For many, the holiday season means packing up the kids and traveling a distance, to gather with friends and family.

We have done this with our 3 kids, and I even took on this task solo when my daughters and I had our Fisher-Price Photo Shoot in Toronto {yep, me and 3 kids flew across country!}.

Here’s what you need to know this holiday season, parents:

{**note, I covered travel with babies and choosing kid-friendly accommodations before, so this post is dedicated to the art of car travel only}

Bring a Cooler with refreshments and make sure to have non-messy snacks too!

Make sure to have plenty of coloring books, crayons and stickers. They are small and pack the punch when it comes to keeping them occupied.

If your child is older, have them write a letter to Santa or make personalized cards for family and friends. My daughter does this all the time in the car, and it keeps her occupied for a long time!

DVD player ~ Now’s a good time to break out those Christmas movies, maybe not seeing them for a year will keep them happily occupied.

Comfort ~ Put winter gear in the car and not on them. Instead, my kids wear hoodies with a blanket on their laps. This prevents overheating and increases comfort. There’s nothing worse than having to pull over because winter-jacket static is causing them to scream that hair is sticking to their faces!

Christmas Songs! Practicing your carols and songs may entice headaches, but tis the season and you want a happy trip. You may want to use it as a last resort, but keep this idea in your back pocket for emergencies.

Be medically prepared! Make sure to have some first aid gear like pain reliever, bandages, tweezers, alcohol wipes and all other medications on hand. You should already have these items in the car, yet make sure you have plenty, there might not be a stop on the way for that Tylenol {for kids or parents}.

If traveling out of your province or state, make sure to have travel health insurance. You never know when a disaster or emergency will strike, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry! The holidays are costly enough, who would want that extra expense if such a thing happens!

Great tips!! Whether you are traveling in the car, the train, or by plane, it is key to be prepared and have a good variety of entertaining distractions for the kids (or spouse ) along the way. I recently downloaded the free DISH Remote Access app for my Android, and this takes the DVD Player concept to a new level!! I got TV Everywhere through work at DISH, and although I am not a huge TV fan, it definitely makes travel a bit less strenuous. My two kids (boys, 6 and 8) are active, rambunctious, and easily distracted. With my TVE for my phone (also works for dozens of other devices), I can tune their attention to the Disney Channel, Discovery, Nickelodeon, OR any of the DVR recordings we have from home. New technology lets me take my entire home TV system with me on the road. It’s perfect for long lines at the airport, road trips and all sorts of situations. Check it out at the DISH homepage, because this is one app that definitely makes travel with the kids a bit less stressful!! Happy and SAFE holiday travels 